We believe many things differentiate us from others, in particular the core values and a 180 year heritage of our company, and our strong tradition of looking outwards to the community we serve, the Nation as a whole, and our global partners. We have established a reputation for quality, through sincere effort, resilience, intelligent direction, and skilful execution, and we constantly strive to maintain and enhance this across all of our international operations.

Even in those parlous times, a few clever and daring entrepreneurs still met with success. One such was Noel Servulus Oswald Mendis, who in 1955 abandoned his successful legal practice for a more adventurous career in business. 

N.S.O. Mendis (like D. S. Senanayake, he was generally referred to by his initials) was among the first to identify the opportunities created by the withdrawal of European capital following the upheavals in 1956. That same year, he made history by becoming the first Ceylonese magnate to purchase a formerly British-owned company, the old-established business house of Mackwoods

The reputation for quality, which Mackwoods has grown to enjoy, is built upon the foundation of sincere effort, resilience, intelligent direction and skillful execution facets of the vision of the late Mrs. Sriyani Nonis, Chairperson of Mackwoods Group of Companies, who successfully let Mackwoods over a period of 40 years, having been actively involved in the business for many years prior to that. A Barrister-at-Law by profession, she brought with her, a wealth of management experience.